


Coffee is a Language in Itself

by caggiewrites



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Bellarke, F/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-03-29 08:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3890032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caggiewrites/pseuds/caggiewrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellarke Coffee Shop AU. Inspired by the prompt: "So this is probably a terrible idea but hey. So character A and B both know each other just from around, from college or high school or the same apartment building etc. They own the only 2 coffee shops in town which both are lacking in customers. Everyday character A puts out a sign to try and call in more customers. When character B catches on they start to do the same thing until it turns into an outright war between shops. They eventually have to talk and resolve this. (Bellarke maybe idk)" from anonymous on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It started out as a feeling

**Author's Note:**

> Loved this prompt! This is a three parter, thanks for your amazing response!

Abby Griffin thought that opening a coffee shop was an insane idea. Honestly, they didn’t need the money and definitely not the stress. But her husband Jake Griffin had his heart set, and their daughter Clarke, ten years old at the time, had already begun design on the logo.

Now Clarke Griffin was a junior in high school but nothing had changed in her devotion to her father’s coffee shop, despite the fact it donned the cringe-worthy name of Clarke’s Coffee, no doubt a sweet gesture with well aimed intentions from her father. It was her favourite place to be, and even when she wasn’t working, she’d curl up on one of the armchairs with a latte and draw there. She’d even landed two of her best friends, Raven and Jasper jobs as well. Monty worked at the IT store down the road which he simply adored, but came in to Clarke’s after his every shift. 

Clarke had had a good first semester of the year, and therefore was in high spirits all of the winter break, until a week before Christmas when she noticed a ‘SOLD’ sign in front of the abandoned shop across the street over her hot chocolate. Her father brushed it off until a few weeks later, when it became clear that for the first time in their history of owning the coffee shop, they had rivals. 

“You need to chill, Clarke,” Raven had told her. “Everyone loves your dad and this place.” 

Clarke tried to agree with her friend that the locals’ loyalty would see them through. 

The Dropship was born relatively quickly, and was a stark contrast to Clarke’s Coffee. The family appeared to consist of a young mom and her son and daughter, and they were all ridiculously attractive, Clarke could tell that much from the window of her own shop. 

-

She tried not to let the threat of The Dropship affect her mood when the new semester began, which it turned out to be much more difficult than she thought. Clarke was walking through the school halls with Raven on their way to Biology after lunch, the former frantically rifling through her bag as they did so. 

“Clarke, we’re gonna be late on the first day back! Mr Kane will kill us this time,” Raven hurried her, walking backwards as she addressed Clarke. 

“He’s going to kill me anyway, I can’t find my paper anywhere. Crap, I had it about five minutes ago - whoa! God, sorry.” Clarke had managed to walk head long into a firm chest. 

“Shit, my bad,” came a deep voice, and looking up, Clarke had to bite back a gasp when she saw the handsome, freckled face before her. She had never seen him before, she felt like she would have remembered him (and dreamed about him), yet there was something familiar about his dark hair and olive skin. 

Suddenly, her dreamlike state was interrupted as Clarke realised why he was familiar. She’d seen him moving countless boxes and furniture over the past few days. Into The Dropship. She squared her shoulders. 

“You should watch where you’re going, you could hurt somebody,” Clarke said defiantly.

The guy snorted, “And your eyes were glued to your surroundings, were they?” 

“You’re right, I let my guard down. I don’t usually, I’ve been having to watch my back a lot lately…” Clarke folded her arms. 

He raised his eyebrows at her, but she didn’t back down, refusing to be intimidated by his warm brown eyes. Slowly though, his face broke out into a grin which turned into a smirk, “You’re Clarke’s Coffee.”

“You’re The Dropship.”

“Yeah, my mom wasn’t down with Bellamy’s Brews.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes, “Well, Bellamy, just keep to your side of the street.” 

“I wouldn’t want to upset the local Princess of coffee,” Bellamy replied with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

Clarke tutted in disgust and walked past him, making sure to shove into his shoulder as she went, to which Bellamy’s eyes glinted as he went the opposite direction, whistling. 

“Oh my god,” Raven whispered dramatically. “You’re into him.” 

Clarke pretended to vomit, “Oh, please, Raven.” 

Raven grinned wickedly, “He’s into you, too.”

Clarke ignored the flush creeping up her neck and suddenly slammed her palm to her forehead. 

“Raven! You have my paper. Remember to give things you copy back to their original hard working owners,” She held out her hand. 

“Hey, you’re right! Nice change of subject, too.” 

-

That night, as Clarke cleared away some empty mugs from the window table, she caught sight of Bellamy leaning casually against the entrance to his shop, watching her with a smirk. She shot him a glare in the hope he’d retreat back into his building, but instead he began crossing the road and approached Clarke’s. She hurried to the door and opened it just wide enough so she could speak to him. 

“We’re actually closing, so could you postpone your spying til tomorrow?” Clarke said dryly. 

Bellamy held up his hands, “Relax, Princess. I’m just scoping out the competition.” 

Clarke frowned, “So, spying.” She widened the door so she could put her hands on her hips. “Not that there is any competition, because Clarke’s is better than The Dropship. We’ve had this spot for seven years.” 

Bellamy smirked, “All I’m hearing is that it’s time there was another coffee shop around here.” 

Clarke wished he wasn’t so good looking, she could see his t shirt sleeves tight against him arm and she just wanted to reach out for him. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, “Don’t be an asshole.”

Bellamy’s mouth spread into a shit eating grin that absolutely did not make Clarke’s heart skip a few beats. He surveyed her shop and she crossed her arms defensively, as though that would stop him seeing. 

“I will definitely be seeing you around, Princess,” Bellamy nodded at her with a satisfied grin and crossed the road back into the dim glow of The Dropship, leaving Clarke with nothing to say. She shut up shop angrily that night, cursing Bellamy’s stupid freckles and gorgeous smile. Clarke and her father had built Clarke’s Coffee together, she cherished it above a lot of things in her life. And here come’s Mister Big-man Bellamy who thinks he can somehow undermine her and all she’s worked for? Shooting the rival shop a withering glare as she passed it, Clarke determined that though Clarke’s Coffee looked cute, it was ready to fight if needs be. Hard. 

-

She’d tried her best not to, but Clarke ended up stalking Bellamy’s social media that night. Keep your enemies close, right? She learned that his surname was Blake, he was a senior and his younger sister was named Octavia. His profile wasn’t as incriminating as she thought it would be, and that was to say: it wasn’t incriminating at all. He didn’t look like a coffee shop saboteur on paper, at least. 

Little did Clarke know that in his own room, Bellamy Blake had done his own research as soon as he’d spotted her that first morning they’d moved into their shop. The Dropship needed initial promotion, and Bellamy doubted he’d be able to refrain from aggravating his cute blonde rival along the way.


	2. Which then turned into a quiet word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Bellamy's rivalry continues, but not even Clarke can use it to justify the feelings growing between them (though she tries).

“What do you mean, you need new paint? I brought some home barely last week, Clarke!” Abby asked incredulously to her daughter. 

“Well, I used it all,” Clarke shrugged.

Abby paused her scrubbing of the kitchen counter to shoot Clarke a raised brow, “Already? What are you painting, is it for class?” 

Clarke sighed, “Again, no. I’m helping promote the shop.” 

It was Abby’s turn to sigh, “Honey, you’ve made enough posters and signs to decorate the white house!”

“Mom! We need to keep on top of our game! Don’t you remember what I said about The Dropship?” Clarke threw her hands in the air. 

“Vaguely. I mostly remember you blushing when you told me about the Blake boy.” Abby smiled knowingly as Clarke’s cheeks turned pink at the memory. 

“Fine,” Clarke rolled her eyes. “I’ll get my own paint.”

Clarke stormed off, muttering to herself. She was annoyed her mother didn’t seem to take the threat of another coffee shop very seriously, even though Bellamy Blake had made it very clear over the past few weeks he meant business. 

It had started off with the coupons. A seething Clarke snatched them out of Monty’s unsuspecting hand one lunch time, proceeding to rip them into shreds. 

“Whoa, you okay?” Raven frowned as Clarke tore the paper into minuscule pieces. 

“I’m fine, Raven. Unless you count that there is a senior jerk wad trying to ruin my father’s business!” 

Jasper spoke up tentatively, as though not to alarm Clarke even more, “He’s just trying to promote his own business, Clarke.” 

“That’s nice, Jas,” Clarke deadpanned. 

Looking up then, she caught sight of the offending coupon-maker, sliding onto a bench to eat his lunch with a few other seniors. Before starting on his sandwich, Bellamy peered around, grinning when his eyes locked onto Clarke’s narrowed ones. She immediately frowned, thrown off balance by the appearance of dimples in his cheeks. Clarke tried desperately to keep her heart from rocketing around in her ribcage when he winked at her, but it was to no avail, and she blew her hair out of her face when he looked away. 

If his smug smile was anything to go by, Bellamy thought he was winning whatever they were both competing in. Clarke eyed the seniors he sat with apprehensively, but it didn’t take her long to decide what to do. Clarke Griffin wasn’t easily intimidated. 

Walking over brusquely, Clarke slid on the bench next to Bellamy. Ignoring the stupid catcalls from his fellow seniors, Clarke folded her arms and looked at him with expectant eyes as he slowly turned to face her, clearly recovering from surprise. 

“Should’ve just asked if you wanted to have a lunch date, Princess,” He smirked. 

Clarke ignored this, as well as the close proximity in which she had chosen to sit next to him in, “Coupons? Really?” 

He raised his eyebrows, “You have a problem with coupons?”

“Correction. I have a problem with your coupons.” 

Bellamy glanced at his friends, who all looked on unabashedly. Clarke, however, kept her eyes trained on his face (counting his freckles was proving impossible) and narrowed them slightly. 

“I’m allowed to give out coupons, Princess.” 

Clarke scoffed and brought a tired looking coupon from her pocket to his face, “I’m aware that you’re allowed to give them out, but a week after our new deal starts? I didn’t think you’d opt for the tactic of blatantly copying me.” 

Bellamy plucked the Clarke’s Coffee coupon she held from her hand, “Oh, you invented coupons now?” 

“You’re insufferable,” Clarke decided, shooting him a disgusted look that was cut short in a gasp as Bellamy leaned into her, making the distance between their faces (lips) even smaller. She could still see him smirk.

“I almost believed you,” He said in a low voice. 

Clarke might have shuddered if she wasn’t in a public setting and she didn’t loathe Bellamy Blake. She withdrew from the warmth radiating from what seemed to be his whole body and shoved his shoulders. 

“Watch yourself, Blake,” Clarke hoped her voice sounded strong, but it shook ever so slightly, and she was sure at least Bellamy heard as he grinned. She ignored the rest. 

Later that week, Clarke and Raven stood in the window of Clarke’s grimly surveying the scene in the shop opposite. 

“Since when do the football team hang out at a coffee shop?” Clarke groaned as the school’s team piled into The Dropship for the second time in three days. 

“Since Bellamy became their star player,” Raven said seriously. “Also his mom definitely gives them fifty per cent off.” 

Clarke frowned at Raven, “That was rhetorical, but thanks.”

“I’m sorry, but Clarke Griffin performs best when she is all riled up. I’m pretty sure Blake knows that, too.” Raven arched her brows at Clarke suggestively. 

“Oh god, he’s my opponent, Raven!” Clarke tried to stop the flush working it’s way up her face. She glanced across the street again, where she caught sight of Bellamy animatedly talking and laughing with the other footballers. “And like you said, star player already. A senior, and he’s strong, confident, charming...” 

Raven snorted and pretended to fan Clarke with the rag she was using to wipe tables, “Cool it, Clarke! You better not be about to tell me he’s out of your league or I’ll strangle you with this.” 

Clarke jumped out of her Bellamy induced reverie and rolled her eyes at her friend, “This isn’t about leagues! This is about my coffee shop being better than his. And as gross as you were about it, I do work best when I’m motivated. This is going to be fun.”

And it was fun - at first. Clarke’s whole group willingly participated in promoting her beloved shop. They baked new goods, pitched new ideas, created posters and signs and flyers and coupons. Jake Griffin tried to persuade his daughter that they were doing just fine, but Clarke maintained that that was only due to her excessive campaigning and that he would thank her later. 

Most of Clarke’s friends assumed that Bellamy would begin to ignore Clarke’s mad strategies, but surprised them all when he brought just as much enthusiasm to the competition as Clarke. Though they didn’t have Clarke’s artistic talent, The Dropship posters and flyers were cooler and went down a storm when the ‘hot new guy’ began handing them out as he walked down the halls. 

Clarke tended to refrain from talking to him, as she either got flustered or mad – usually both. He would be much easier to annihilate if he didn’t send shivers up her spine by just watching her from across the school field. It wasn’t like she tried to catch his eye, she just always did. And though Bellamy was an ass, his eyes were full of teasing, obviously, but also a warmth she couldn’t quite dislike. And constantly on her. Clarke put it down to him scoping out the competition. Something, Raven pointed out, she had so far failed to do.

“You haven’t even been inside The Dropship! How can you fight something you know nothing about?” 

So after much bullying from Raven and Jasper (who both threatened to rip up her newly painted signs if she did not go for at least five minutes), Clarke found herself crossing the street and stepping into the enemy territory. She winced at the dinging of the bell as she opened the door, as though it was much louder than it actually was. Clarke spotted Bellamy almost immediately, behind the counter serving another senior she recognised as Lily Sydney. She snorted at the way Lily leaned against the counter, to make herself feel better about the way Bellamy reciprocated. 

Like a fish out of water, Clarke took in the shop. It was trendy and hip, everything she had imagined. The décor was sort of space themed, and the walls were a showcase of abstract art. Her eyes landed on a simply decorated painted sign.   
“Figures,” She muttered, flicking it. 

“No way!” A deep voice said loudly. Clarke turned around to see Bellamy immediately push away from the counter (and Lily), a devilish smile lighting up his features. “You should have told me you were coming, Princess, I don’t have my camera with me. How will I ever prove that you were here?”

Clarke couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at her lips as she walked to the counter, “You won’t, and the secret will die with us… and Lily.” She gestured awkwardly to the very put out looking Lily Sydney. 

Bellamy jumped as he looked over at Lily, “Mind if we talk later? I am experiencing a historical moment,” He informed her, eyes darting back to Clarke.   
Now looking put out and offended, Lily stalked out the shop with a casual ‘bye’ to Bellamy and a special glare for Clarke, who responded with a sarcastic wave. 

“Sorry for interrupting your date, Blake, I was just checking you out for any weaknesses,” Clarke froze and Bellamy smirked. “Your shop. I was checking your shop out.” She amended. 

“I’m not dating her,” was all he said, suddenly interested in a note pad on the counter. 

Clarke swallowed uneasily, “Perhaps you should, as she’s the only one dumb enough to date the guy who owns this place.” 

“Ha!” Bellamy barked out a laugh. “You’re really cute when you try to offend me.”

“Whatever,” Clarke flipped her hair dramatically. “I happen to cute all the time.”

Bellamy’s eyes crinkled when as he smiled and through her own smile, her mind began to panic. Was she flirting right now? She may as well be Lily Sydney, she thought, she had come here for a reason – and that was not to pick up Bellamy Blake. 

She cleared her throat, “Are your mother and sister not around?” 

Bellamy shook his head, “They went shopping today. So it’s just me. Oh, and Jones.” He gestured to another young waiter clearing up the table nearby. His eyes suddenly lit up, “Actually, hey, Jones?” 

Jones looked up, “Yeah?”

“Cover the floor for a minute, I need to show something to the Princess here.” 

Jones nodded his ascent as Clarke began shaking her own, “What? No, Bellamy, I should get going. I have to wash my hair… and close the shop…” She was panicking. No scenario where she and Bellamy were completely alone was going to end well. 

Bellamy raised his eyebrows, “It’s three pm.”

Clarke glanced uneasily to Clarke’s Coffee over the road. 

“Come on, Griffin, I’m not going to kill you in the back room. From one business rival to another, I just want to show you something,” He reasoned. 

Clarke eyed him suspiciously before relenting. Bellamy saw as he won her over and grinned, gesturing for her to follow him through the door behind the counter.   
Their ‘back room’ turned out to be their kitchen which was small but very homely, and Clarke recognised his sister Octavia from school in the some photos on the fridge. She smiled a little as the smell of spices hit her nostrils. 

“Sorry, it kind of always smells like this. My mom thinks she’s a foreign cuisine expert,” Bellamy shrugged. 

“It’s actually nice,” Clarke responded, and a plethora of emotions flickered across Bellamy’s face. Before she could figure them out, he turned and gestured to the flurry of activity on the kitchen counter. Clarke stepped forward. 

“Why am I looking at ingredients to make pizza, Blake?” Clarke asked, raising an eyebrow at the various exotic pizza toppings on display. 

“It was my idea,” She felt Bellamy come up behind her. “We’re going to start making and selling our own pizza. Now, we’re only selling them in slices, because this isn’t a pizza take out, but I thought it might shake things up. And amongst my mom’s weird recipes there are some genuinely good ones too, so we have our own recipes in our favour.”

Clarke groaned inwardly. She could deal with Bellamy being attractive, she had self-control. What she had never prepared for was her coffee nemesis being a total dork. She wanted to cry at how passionate he was about pizza. 

“Why are you telling me all your coffee shop secrets?” Clarke joked, trying to gain control over her senses as she could practically feel the hair on his arms. 

“You only talk to me if we’re talking about coffee shops,” Bellamy stated somewhat slowly.

Clarke’s mind fought for an explanation for his words other than the glaringly obvious.   
“I didn’t know you wanted to talk about other things,” She said stupidly. 

He exhaled, the breath fanning over her neck, and this time Clarke shuddered because they were alone in his kitchen, not messing around in the cafeteria. “Neither did I,” He said. “I guess I just wanted to talk to you.”

She felt his hand then, travelling like a ghost down her arm, making every nerve in her body turn to flames.   
She scoffed, “Talk?” 

Bellamy came right up behind her then, so that she felt his chest at her back, and bent down to whisper in her ear, “Amongst other things.” He whispered, before pressing his lips to the shell of her ear. 

Clarke closed her eyes at his soft touch and his hands moved to hold her at the waist, lips slowly kissing down to her neck. She leaned into him then, exposing more of her neck which he turned his attention to. Her own hands small hands covered his at her waist, and she was just wondering how long she would be able to hold off turning round and jumping his bones when a voice from the shop interrupted her thoughts. 

“Jeez, Jones, you’re letting Bell slack off?”

“He’ll be back in a minute,” Replied the ever loyal voice of Jones. 

Bellamy and Clarke had broken apart, and Clarke didn’t look back as she pushed away from him and hurried into the shop. 

“Clarke-” She heard him call, but powered on towards the door, almost jogging past a suspicious looking Octavia and a surprised Aurora. 

“Octavia, Ms Blake,” She nodded at them, before exiting the shop, the cold air of the street a relief from the heat of her skin and Bellamy’s mouth. She didn’t return to her father’s shop, she couldn’t bear having to answer Raven and Jasper’s questions and turn red all over again. 

Clarke ran all the way home, flopping on her bed after slamming the door. Her mind couldn’t let go what had just happened. The whole thing was a complete blur, the conversation, the kisses. Clarke briefly wondered if he did that to all the girls who came in the shop before slapping herself to not dwell on it. She had barely been able to ignore the attraction to Bellamy before, and now that she’d felt what it was like to have him close, as though he wanted her, she didn’t know how to bounce back from that.   
Bellamy was supposed to be the cocky asshole who owned the only rival coffee shop in the whole town that she could take on. Not the charming gorgeous dork who owned the only rival coffee shop in the whole town that she could take on. 

Well, maybe one thing hadn’t changed, then. Which lead Clarke to decide that she would respond to this the only way she knew how: the Griffin way. 

Business as usual.


End file.
